Fearless
by Angela Nguyen
Summary: A Tao fears nothing. He knew that. But sometimes, when he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and looked down at her sleeping form, he knew that he was afraid of something he couldn't understand clearly.
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

____Fearless____

~Fanfiction~

A/N: Yay! I'm back with a multi-chaptered fanfic as promised. The title of this fic is inspired by the song "Fearless" sung by Taylor Swift. And a lot of my chapter titles will be named after her songs too. Guess why ;)

-Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to the talented but sometimes annoying Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

-Rating: T (to be safe)

-Genre(s): Romance, Drama.

-Pairing(s): Ren x Jeanne

-Summary: A Tao fears nothing. He knew it. But sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night and looked down at her sleeping form, he knew that he feared of something that he couldn't explain clearly.

CHAPTER 0: Prologue

There were times when he suddenly woke up at night and looked down at her sleeping form beside him.

There were times when he found himself lost in her peaceful face, her silver strands and her pale skin.

And there were times when he couldn't help but gently put his hand on her already big belly.

_His._

There were times when she woke up as he did that and smiled tenderly at him.

There were times when he found himself lost in those ruby eyes and that beautiful smile.

And there were times when almost absentmindedly, he found himself smiling back at her.

_This feeling…_

There were times when he was hurt seeing her hiding all the pain to herself.

There were times when he wondered why he had had those feelings.

There were times when he asked himself if he had been really fearless.

And there were times when he found that none of that mattered.

… _He didn't understand it._

_But…_

_She was smiling, again._

A/N: I know that was too short. But I didn't come up with any better idea for a prologue. I hope you guys liked it enough to check out my next chapters. Review please!


	2. Chapter I: Start of Something New

A/N: I'm really sorry for not updating in such a long time. But I'm dying with my semester exams (I still haven't finished them yet) so... But here's it, Fearless Chapter I !

-Disclaimer: I don't want to say this again, but I don't own SK or any of the characters.

-Summary: Let me tell you everything from its very beginning.

* * *

CHAPTER I: Start of Something New.

…_After 5 years, the legendary five warriors reunited for the first time. Lyserg, Chocolove and Horohoro had been completely shocked when Ren turned up with a child in his arms and said that is was his son. _

"_But hey, who's the mom?" Horohoro asked the long-haired man sitting next to him curiously._

"_Forget it. I'm not telling you." Ren said coldly._

"_Come on, it's quite obvious if you look at his name and color of eyes and hair." Lyserg said with an I-know-everything smirk "May I tell you the answer?"_

"_His name and colors, you say?" Horohoro stared at the boy "Silver hair… Red eyes…And if his name is like Hana's , Men…Me…n."_

"_No… no way" He seemed to have realized the answer._

"_Enough." Ren snapped._

_That was where we started._

* * *

Iron Maiden Jeanne was a very, very odd name. So when it was filled in the list of students in a Christianity school for girls, it immediately created rumors.

A silver-haired and red-eyed girl was sitting alone in one of the farthest desks in the class, staring blankly at the open book in front of her.

She didn't care if they would say any more terrible things about her.

What can be more terrible than her being a vampire and that she had drunk many guys' blood before moving here? _That's _what they say, because of her odd ruby eyes and her pale skin. What can be more terrible than her being the daughter of some demons? _That's _what they say, because of her silver hair and the scars on her body.

You see, falling from the Holy Maiden that everyone respected to the Bloodlust Vampire or the Demon Child wasn't a quite good experience.

She used to cry. A lot. But then she found that crying couldn't solve anything.

So she stayed silent. And they hated it. So they started running into her on her way just to make her face change its expression.

She used to yell at them. Loudly. But then she found that yelling couldn't change anything.

So she never got out of her desk until after school.

But she tried to ignore them, it didn't mean that they would abandone her.

Those cruel rumors kept chasing her.

It made her remember the time when Marco used to smack anyone that said bad things about her.

They never called her with any other names but "That demon" or "That vampire".

It made her remember the time when Marco forbid everyone to call her name without a "-sama".

And when they slapped her right in the face and said she would go to hell...

It made her remember that Marco wasn't there any more.

She was left alone again. All alone. Like many years ago. Like in the nightmares that haunted her sleep everynight.

But, today something strange was happening.

They were murmuring to one another, as ever, but not in the disgusted voice that they usually use towards her, but in a high and excited voice. It seemed that they were talking about somebody else.

She didn't care.

"Silence girls." The old teacher commanded, and then she gave the whole class a puzzle look.

"Who is Miss Iron Maiden Jeanne?"

She slowly stood up, looking at her with surprised eyes.

"There's someone who wants to meet you."

Jeanne heard they murmuring, in their usual disgusted voice again, while she was coming out of the class.

"Such a handsome Asian man!"

"Why does he want to meet her?"

"That demon!"

"He might not know about her past..."

She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes as she walked through the door. _Don't care._

But soon her eyes snapped open and stared at the sudden guest.

He had changed a lot. He was now much taller than her, his hair had grown longer and he had 3 tongaris. She nearly let out a sob because of those eyes looking at her - she knew them too well - the cold eyes of Tao Ren.

"What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer. After 5 years, she still hadn't changed a lot. She was taller and fully developed, but those ruby eyes remained the same innocent look. It couldn't be denied that she was very beautiful.

_Let's just get this over._

He took a deep breath and said without looking at her:

"I want you to be my wife."

Her eyes widened in complete shock.

"What?"

"Like hell I will repeat that!!!" He looked up to bark at her, blushing hard.

She felt like her cheeks were burning too.

A proposal.

_From Tao Ren._

Is something she had never thought of even in the wildest dreams.

But she must stay calm.

_Calm._

"You made me skip my class and now talking to me like this?"

Silence.

"Will you tell me your purpose?"

It was silent for another minute before he spat out

"Yoh has a kid."

It dawned on her with a small smile that she hadn't had for a very long time.

"And you don't want to let him win in this either, do you?"

Again, he didn't answer.

Sixteen. Married. Marco would go mad if he knew this.

But then she heard the noises coming from the classroom. The hell that she had been suffering.

It was like fire burning in her veins when she silently said,

"Yes."

* * *

A/N: I struggled to find a title for this chapter, really. I know, this is just a new version of my first oneshot, The Way I Loved You. But I hope that you enjoyed it. And please review! Your reviews really made me happy.


	3. Chapter II: First Night

A/N: Yeah, I haven't died yet. Sorry for disappearing sooo long. But this is Chapter 2 for Christmas!

-Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King no matter how big a fan I am. This awesome creation belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

-Summary: First night. Just that.

* * *

CHAPTER II: First Night.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

_Who can come this late in the evening?_ Jun thought while rushing towards the gates. Her jaw dropped when she saw golden eyes gazing at her. But what surprised her more was....

XXX

"This is the one I'm going to marry."

Ren declared in the dead silence of his family. _Unbelievable._ En, Ran and Jun widened their eyes at the silver-haired and red-eyed girl, who was standing and smiling shyly at them beside the Tao heir.

_Wait a minute._

_Silver-haired and red-eyed?!?_

XXX

Jeanne was frightening at first when Tao grandpa suddenly got up from his bed in between sickness and threatened to kill Ren with a gun in his hand.

En seemed to be about to smack Ren for engaging to a foreigner, but when Ren told him how strong Jeanne was, he seemed to be pleased.

Ran was quite surprised at once, but she soon found the girl very charismatic.

Jun, as ever, supported her little brother whole-heartedly.

Both of them felt relieved that his family's attitude wasn't too hard to handle.

* * *

_The engagement party._

_She had never been talked to by so many people for 5 years._

_Some said she was very beautiful in the traditional Chinese red dress._

_Some said she was very lucky to be married to the Tao heir._

_And he just remained silent._

* * *

He was walking with long steps on the getting dark hall with her nearly running after him.

"I didn't know that your country has so many parties that a couple must take."

Jeanne said as she caught up with him.

"We're NOT a couple." Ren snapped "And it was just the engagement party."

_Silence_ took over again until they reached a large room that belonged to Ren. But now that they were officially engaged, it became their room.

"You'd better sleep down there." Ren pointed at the floor "Get the pillows and blanket in the closet over there."

"Is that the right way to treat a girl?" Jeanne glared at him "_You_ should be the one to sleep down there."

"This is my house and my room. And I will sleep in my bed." He finished emotionlessly, removed his red robes.

As he was about to turn out the light, two small, pale arms silently wrapped around him_. Tightly_.

"What the hell are you..."

She silenced him with her small, yet sharp voice.

"Do you remember the reason that you wanted to marry me?"

No answer.

"You just wanted to have a strong kid, didn't you?"

Another silent moment before he managed to break her embrace and turned around to face her.

"If you had known that, why did you accept it?"

She just gave him a small smile.

"Since I turned out to be a normal shaman, I've always wanted to do something different. And..."

She leaned in closer to him, their faces inches away.

"Accepting your proposal that easily was desperate, I suppose."

"You're stupid."

"Maybe." Jeanne smirked as she turned out the light.

-

-

-

_"Idiot," He whispered "You have no idea what you got into."_

_"Of course I do."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"Am I your fiancee or not?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"Ah!"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_Never _had she been so embarrassed in her life.

_Never._

She felt the heat burning on her face when she caught his eyes gazing at her.

She blushed even more when he snaked an arm around her bare waist, pulling her closer to him.

_"Idiot"_

Her breath stopped for a moment as he smiled.

A tender, almost sympathetic smile.

And she found herself drifting away, letting his warmth and his smile lull her to sleep.

* * *

A/N: I know that it was disappointing *sweats* but please review even if you have to criticize me. Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!


	4. Chapter III: Untouchable

Happy New Year everyone! And Happy 24th Birthday, Tao Ren!

*fireworks*

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my dear friend Cat heart manga, who is also a writer here for her extreme kindness and awesomeness. Although we've never actually met, I've always thought of you as one of my best friends dear *hugs*

-Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters. This story is just the expression of my love for the RenxJeanne and Tao Men awesomeness.

-Summary: _"Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun... And when you're close I feel like coming undone..."_

A/N: This chapter is named after the song "Untouchable" by Taylor Swift. I obviously don't own this song even if I'm a huge fan of hers. _Italics_ in quote signs ("-") represent the lyrics of this song.

* * *

CHAPTER III: Untouchable

_"Untouchable, like a distant diamond sky_

_Oh_

_I'm reaching out and I just can't tell you why_

_I'm caught up in you..._

_I'm caught up in you..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

She woke up, feeling like she just had a dream.

But every memory was so fresh, so clear that she couldn't deny it.

She flushed terribly red as she recalled everything had happened last night- _kisses,touches..._

And how uncontrollably loud she had been.

As she sat up, she realized that she had already been wrapped in an overlarge white shirt of his. He must have known that she would be very embarrassed when she woke up. But the fact that _he_ was the one who put the shirt on her only made her blush even more.

She carefully slipped out of the bed, tried not to wake him up. Then she slipped into a white gown that Jun had thoughtfully hung in the closet.

She stopped by the bed on her way to the door just to have a look of his sleeping form. His long dark purple hair was covering the pillows, and his hand putting loosely on the covers at which moments ago was her waist. _He sure is gorgeous-_ She thought with a sigh- _Who could know that someone can look so innocent while sleeping after being so..._

She blushed, again, as a image of his flashed in her mind.

_I really need some air._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun..._

_And when you're close I feel like coming undone..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

He had known that she wouldn't be there with him when he woke up.

But he would find her anyway.

-

There she was.

Kneeling in front of an open window, eyes shutting.

_What the hell is she doing here?_

Then he realized, from the way her fingers entwining on her chest...

... She was praying.

_Brat._

He almost chuckled.

That was when his eyes caught a nearly breath-taking sight.

_Her hair._

_Streaming down to the floor._

_Appealingly..._

_... silver._

_Sparkling._

_Sparkling in the sunlight._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"In the middle of the night_

_when I'm in this dream_

_It's like a million little stars_

_spelling out your name_

_You gotta come on, come on_

_say that we'll be together_

_Come on, come on..._

_little taste of heaven..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Sighing, she slowly stood up and headed towards the door, but a quiet voice stopped her.

"Did I hurt you?"

Golden eyes stared deep into ruby ones.

"I..."

"Tell me, did I hurt you?"

She just gave him a smile.

"Why do you care?"

"You were praying. I... hate it when things are not clear."

His answer was quick, simple and seemed light-hearted. She blinked before smiling brightly again.

"No, not at all. I'm fine."

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"It's half-full and I will wait here all day_

_Oh_

_I know you're saying that you'd be here_

_anyway..._

_But you're untouchable, burning brighter than the sun_

_Now that you're close I feel like coming undone..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

"You're back."

Ren said simply as he saw his fiancee sitting in his room, staring at nothingness.

She looked up at him, blinked. _Why do I always blush when I see him?_

"I don't want to bother your sister anymore."

It had been a few nights since they last shared a room. Jeanne had been so embarrassed after _that night_ that she chose to sleep in Jun's room instead of theirs.

He came sat beside her quietly.

"That morning...What were you praying for?"

"Nothing." She gave him her usual smile again.

"Stop faking smiles to me."

Jeanne widened her eyes at his statement.

"You think I can't see that you always smile no matter how much you have to suffer? You're not the leader of X-Laws and have to save the world from evil anymore. Stop torturing yourself and lying that you're okay."

She felt the tears filling her eyes.

Ren smirked bitterly. _Great. She is crying._ Wordlessly, he watched the tears glittering in her ruby orbs.

"I haven't bonded with anyone for 5 years."

A lone tear rolled down her cheek.

"I have been all alone for 5 years."

Another tear.

"But now... I think I am bonding with..."

A silent moment when she wiped away the tears.

"...you."

She gave him a smile. A beautiful, breath-taking smile that made her eyes shine along with it.

"I'm very happy."

"I'm happy more than what words can express."

_"You made me happy."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"In the middle of the night_

_We could form this dream_

_I wanna feel you by my side_

_Standing next to me..."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Jeanne clutched Ren's shirt trying to push him away when he claimed her lips with his.

But then she found herself limp in his arms.

That was when she realized how much she missed him, how much she needed him.

And that she was starting to like the feeling of this.

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"You gotta come on, come on_

_say that we'll be together_

_Come on, come on_

_Little taste of heaven..."_

* * *

A/N: So that was Chapter 3! I hope that it was better than the last chapter!

For those who asked for lemon, I have intended to put some lemons in this chapter, but now I think I'll make a new version of First Night with lemons in it and post it some time soon.

If you have read to this point, please review! Your reviews always make me happy :D


	5. Chapter IV: Je t'aime

A/N: I'm so very sorry for this late update guys :( High School is harder than I thought :(

I want to thank Chiisai-Mini A LOT for the beautiful picture she drew based on this story. It was just amazing.

And I want to thank everyone for your fave on this story and my other works, your reviews and encouragements always make my day.

-Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters. All I own is this plot and a big love for RenJeanne.

-Summary: _"I want to hear you say it yourself."_

* * *

CHAPTER IV: Je t'aime...

_If this is a dream..._

_-_

_He has always been kind enough to put clothes on me while I'm asleep._

Jeanne smiled at this thought when she woke up and found herself wrapped in Ren's warmth and shirt.

The smile still remained when she ran a finger tenderly on his peaceful sleeping face.

_Since when have I felt this way?_

-

_...Don't wake me up._

_-_

Ren woke up just to find the pillow next to him empty. How came she had always managed to wake up and sneak out of the bed before him?

Sighing, he sat up and as he looked over the bed again, he found that her pillow was not empty after all.

He picked up the small slip of paper laying on the pillow. There was only two words on it, written in neatly cursive hand-writing.

_"Je t'aime"_

He smiled.

_-_

_If this is real..._

_-_

When Jeanne came back from bath dressing in a simple gown, she was surprised to find her fiance sitting on the bed, staring at the piece of paper coldly. Then she said silently,

"Good morning..."

"What is this?" Rensnapped, gazing at her, "You left me a note in French that I can't even understand!"

"I..."

"Translate it." He commanded coldly, handed the note to her.

Jeanne looked at him confusingly, then down at the note in her hand.

_She couldn't win those golden eyes, could she?_

After a few moments, Jeanne took a deep breath.

"It... it means..."

She flushed red because of the words she was going to say.

_"I love you"_

_-_

_I will never let go._

_-_

Everything froze for a moment.

Then very, very silently, Jeanne felt him grabbing her arms, pulling her closer to him.

Silence took over for a while when the heat on her face began to cool down and Ren opened his mouth.

"Idiot," He said quietly, looking her deep in the eyes, "You really thought that I didn't know those simple words?"

_"I just want to hear you say it yourself."_

She stared at his smirking face.

"Narcissistic."

But she smiled anyways.

* * *

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

Ren slipped into the room, closed the door behind him.

"Okaa-san," He spoke, "You called me?"

Tao Ran just gave him a smile.

"Yes. Take a seat, son."

Ren rested himself at the chair across to her, then looked at his mother rather confusingly. They had barely had a real talk before.

"I wanted to talk to you."

Ren son nodded.

"This is about you and Jeanne."

Another nod.

"I know you two have already _done it_," She started, "Oh, don't look at me like that. She didn't tell me anything."

Ren flushed _real_ hard.

"We are not deaf, you know," Ran continued rather teasingly, " And believe me, she is loud."

Her son couldn't get any redder.

"But, what I want to ask you is that..."

Her voice suddenly changed back to its serious tone.

"Do you really love her?"

Her son stared at her surprisingly, couldn't find the words to say.

"When you proposed to her, you just wanted to have a strong kid, didn't you? Then let me tell you this, son..."

She stood up and came stand by the open window.

"Only true love can form the strongest child."

The room was silent for some moments.

"When I married your father, it was love at the first sight for me." She smiled tenderly as she looked at the beautiful getting-dark sky and mountains outside the window, "And we had _you. _Besides, a marriage with no love would bring you both nothing but sorrow."

"So, tell me, Ren..."

She turned around to look him in the eyes.

"Do you still want to marry her?"

Ren couldn't avoid the dead seriousness in his thoughtful mother's eyes. But he knew that he wouldn't hesitate this time.

"Yes, I do."

Ran was pleased by the seriousness she felt in his son's voice.

"Then you'd better come back to your room and have a good sleep, Tao Ren.

_Tomorrow is your wedding day."_

* * *

A/N: Alright, that was it for Chapter 4!!! If you find it short, blame me and my writing style ^^' 'cause even in my own mother tongue, I have never written something too long. I wrote this chapter because I think Ren would consider very carefully before making such a important decision.

From now on I think I'll update new chapter every 2 weeks on weekends. And after Fearless is finished, I'll immediately start a new story for you guys. You will be a part of this, I promise.

NOTICE: New Project: _Ever Ever After_

A series of Fairy Tales starring SK couples!!! I will take requests from you. Just leave a review or PM me, tell me the Fairy Tale and the couple(s) you want in it and I'll choose the best requests to write. I think it'd be best if the couples were YohAnna, HaoAnna, RenJeanne or HoroTamao. I suck at shounen-ai stories, sorry :( A fairy tale can be written with various couples, of course, I always try to keep them in-character and changing the story somehow to match their own character would be very fun ^^ A couple can be in many Fairy Tales too!

So, please leave a review and tell me what you think!!!


	6. Chapter V: Wo ai ni

A/N:I'm here and alive. I know I can't apologize enough for disappearing for soooooo long. Still I want to say "Sorry" and "Thank you" for all of you who have been supporting me ^^

-Disclaimer: I do NOT own Shaman King or any of its characters. If I did, Flowers Chapter 2 would be here by now :(

-Summary: The once-in-a-lifetime miracle.

* * *

CHAPTER V: ... Wo ai ni...

It was already after midnight and Ren still couldn't sleep like his mother had said he should.

Lying flat on his back, he let out a sigh.

_Relax._

Tao Ren is not supposed to be nervous about something small like...

_His wedding._

-

He remembered the times when he couldn't sleep, he would turn to the side like this and take a look straight at her peaceful sleeping face.

Somehow, he had become so accustomed to her being beside him that when she was not around, he felt like something was missing.

This disappearance wouldn't last long. Just tomorrow night, he would have her here by his side again. And he would feel warm and content again.

-

That was when he saw a piece of paper sticking out under her pillow.

_"Je t'aime."_

He smiled.

* * *

Ren glared at the reflection of himself in the mirror. For Great Spirit's sake, if it hadn't been for Jun, he would have burned these red robes right then and there.

As he looked over the window, a lot of guests had already arrived and were talking to his family. He didn't invite "them", of course, this would be a great opportunity for them to make fun of him. Chocolove would be very happy to get on with his stupid jokes, which would obviously turn the ceremony into a big mess with Ren beating him. Moreover, Yoh wouldn't be able to be here, as he and Anna were still on their trip around the world. So he was going to attend his own wedding ceremony not with his friends, but the guests whom he barely knew anything about.

-

Jun came over to check on her little brother for the third time that morning. While tightening the belt of his robes, she said:

"You will have to thank me a lot today."

"What for?" He asked bluntly, looking tiredly at the mirror.

"Everything," She gave him a teasing look, "The wedding hall, the room and mostly... her."

"Okay, okay,"

Jun looked at him with proud eyes.

"Did I say you look very handsome?"

Ren rolled his eyes.

"For the fifteenth time, nee-san."

* * *

_I guess she wasn't kidding when she said I would have to thank her._

Ren looked around the hall where the ceremony would be held, being quite impressed.

They had decided to hold a ceremony that would be a combination of Chinese and Western traditions. The Tao family, being stuck with traditions like they usually did, decided that the groom and bride would wear traditional red clothes and all the decorations for the wedding would be in red too. And Jeanne, a loyal Christianist as she was, insisted that they had a bishop declare their marriage and rings exchanging.

When he saw some kyonshis who would play background music for the ceremony standing beside a huge red curtain with golden- _real_ golden- pattern, knocking at their instruments impatiently, he realized that he was getting impatient too.

-

_Why the hell are things going so slowly?_

The music.

The guests were so quiet.

If it hadn't been for the girl coming, he would probably have fallen asleep.

She was coming, to him.

Head slightly down, fingers intertwinning together in the long sleeves, she walked towards him on the red carpet.

Her face was being hidden under a thick, red scarf, traditionally, but much to his dislike. Still he was grateful that Jun hadn't done so much with her hair. The incredibly long, wavy locks were kept in place by a single clip which was sparkling along with the silver strands in the sunlight.

In a moment, he suddenly felt sweaty and hard-breathing.

_Damn these clothes._

But, of course, it wasn't because of the clothes.

"You took so damn long," He whispered as she reached his side, "Let's just get this over."

Although he couldn't see her face, he could sense that she was smiling.

He let out a deep sigh and turned around to face the bishop who was standing there with the Bible in his hands.

_Blah, blah, blah._

Ren hardly heard anything.

He was being too busy looking at her head-to-toe, from the red embroidered boots that stuck out under her ankle-reaching dress, to the red robes that clung to her body perfectly. That was when he really considered what was going on.

_His bride._

_She would finally and forever be his._

Suddenly, he felt an urge to reach out and hold the small hand that was hidden under her long, overlarge sleeve.

Right then, the hand appeared before his very eyes and snapped him back to reality.

He squeezed the hand slightly before slipping a ring onto it.

He could feel it again; a faint sense of smile coming from her.

She did the same thing with his hand, then put her hand entirely in his, letting him feel its warmth.

Someone in the crowd, whom Ren knew for sure was his mother, let out a small cry.

_Finally, it's over._

_

* * *

_"These stupid things really get on my nerves," Ren hissed as he threw his embroidered shoes under the bed.

"You are right," Jeanne said quietly, took the scarf off her head and came sit beside him.

Sometimes he wished she would stop catching him off guard with that innocent look in her eyes.

_And she was his, all his,_

Seriously, one can never deny such beauty.

Even the cold, arrogant Teo Ren.

He cupped the side of her face gently with his hand.

_forever._

He claimed her lips passionately with his.

But as his other hand snaked around her shoulder, clutching her robes, she stopped it with her own hand.

She broke the kiss.

"No time for this," She smiled and laid his hand on her flat stomach, squeezed it slightly.

"Ren," She murmured, "I'm pregnant."

The golden orbs snapped wide open, gazing from her face to where his hand was laid.

"You..." He whispered, "...pregnant..."

His fingers seemed to be moving by themselves in her warm hand. The more warmth he felt through the thin fabric, the more happiness overwhelmed him.

"Here," Still smiling, she curled her fingers around his.

The next thing he knew was him, burying his face in the softness of her hair.

"Thank you."

_I mean it with all my heart._

Suddenly, she pulled him onto the pillows with her, their hands still on her stomach.

"This is a boy," She said smilingly, "I can feel that."

"Doesn't matter. Even if it is a girl, we will still have so much time to try again."

_A lifetime._

Almost absentmindedly, his lips curled up to form a small smile.

The tender smiled she loved so much.

* * *

A/N: So... that was it for Chapter 5!!! It's some kind of re-make of Not The First Time, but I tried my best to make it new and different. I hope it was worth your wait and your time reading! Thanks a lot and please, please review :D


	7. Chapter VI: More than words

A/N: Well well well... I hope Ren wouldn't stab me for not updating the new chapter on his wife's birthday, March 2nd. Anyways this is for you Jeanne! Happy (super) belated 20th Birthday!!!

-Disclaimer: Again and again, I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters. Don't sue me, I have many things that I haven't done and gone crazy over ^^

-Summary: Words can't describe this.

* * *

CHAPTER VI: ... And more than words.

"You are in pain."

He said simply. The slender girl in his arms let out a sigh, removed his hand from her belly, then looked up at him.

"No, I'm all right,"

She said with a smile.

"I said," He snapped rather impatiently, "Stop faking smiles to me. You are carrying my child, not saving the world from evil."

She let out another sigh and shivered.

"These scars hurt," Her voice broke.

He brushed his lips on a scar on her neck, feeling a bitter lump in his throat.

_I'm sorry.  
_

_

* * *

_The woman sitting behind the reception desk could't help staring at the three new comers. A silver-haired girl with big innocent eyes that didn't suit the big bell she was carrying at all. A green-haired young woman who was hurriedly doing the check-in for this girl. And a tall young man, dark-haired and golden-eyed, standing beside the said girl, didn't bother to look at anything.

_Great. Another teen couple. Like we haven't had enough of all these teen pregnancies already.  
_

The woman sighed, handed Jun a piece of paper, then smilingly wished Jeanne good luck.

XXX

Ren just sat there outside of the room they put her in, glaring at the floor. It had been two hours.

And he was hearing nothing.

But some sounds of heavy breathing and Jun encouraging her.

This awkward silence was killing him.

If only she had shouted out or something like that, he would have felt better.

He didn't know when he had started to feel this way.

XXX

"Ren," Jun said quietly, "Come in and see her."

He looked up at his sister wide-eyed. And when the words started to sink in and he stood up to head towards the room, he couldn't feel his feet at all.

He held back a gasp.

_There she is._

For that moment, he found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. Her fragile form was being wrapped in a thin blanket, her thick silver locks were covering her pillows_, _and her eyes, still incredibly remained their innocent look, were gazing out the window.

"She was amazing," Ren heard his sister whispering beside him, "She gave birth to him without any cries. She didn't seem to have any pain at all."

"Him? You mean a boy?" He forced his eyes to leave the slender form of his wife to look at Jun.

"Yeah," Jun said with a big smile on her face, "Here, you can carry him."

Clumsily, Ren picked the infant from her, held him gently in his arms.

As he leaned his face closer to the baby's, Jeanne turned her head to look at them, her eyes shining with pure happiness.

Wordlessly, Ren stared at his son. He really resembled Ren as a little boy with a tongari, but in silver. Sniffing, the baby shook his head slightly and opened his eyes. Big, ruby orbs gazed coldly at his father's golden ones.

Something melted inside Ren. _Beautiful._ That was all he could think of right now. The perfect combination of him and her. It seemed too unreal, but it was real.

He forced his eyes to leave the baby's to look at her too familiar ones, and found a shining smile on her face.

XXX

"He is just beautiful," Jun said, trying to hold back a sob, "Now give me him and we'll leave the two of you alone." She flashed a smile.

It was getting dark when silence finally took over the room. They had helped Jeanne by putting several pillows behind her back, so now she could half-sit on the bed comfortably.

She kept on staring at the dark blue sky outside with a small smile on her face. Then all of a sudden, he grabbed one of her hands tightly in his, forcing her to look at him confusedly.

"I said," He whispered, "Don't fake smiles to me. You are torturing yourself again."

She stared at him, wide eyed.

_Why does he always know?_

Before she could answer that question, she had found herself gripping his warm hand with both of hers.

And hot tears wetted their hands as she touched them with her lips.

And before he even realized it, his other hand had silently been wiping away the tears.

* * *

A/N: Actually, I think this chapter is not so good. But please review even just to tell me it's too short, OOC or just sucks! Your reviews always make me smile no matter what!!! The next chapter will be better, I promise.

**AND: Don't forget to check out my Profile for new projects!!! **


	8. Chapter VII: Once

A/N: I know the last chapter disappointed some of you. Well, I hope this doesn't ^^'

-Disclaimer: I love Shaman King, but that doesn't make in mine in any ways.

-Summary: "I'd say this just once."

* * *

CHAPTER VII: Once.

"You've got to be kidding, nee-san."

"No, I'm not."

Jun said smilingly while poking her finger on her niece's cheek. The newly parents in front of her kept on looking at her with their eyes wide.

"You two have rarely hung out ever since Men was born. And truth be told, even before that you also did."

She gave them a puzzled look.

"So why don't you go somewhere together tonight, have dinner and just... some private time? It's Renny's birthday tomorrow, after all. And sure, I can take care of this very cute little puppy for a while."

Jun smiled sweetly to the baby, who glared back at her as if the word "puppy" offended him.

"Nee-san..."

"Jun-san..."

Ren and Jeanne both started confusedly, but Jun had already picked Men up from Jeanne's embrace and walked away.

"No need to thank me!" Her voice came teasingly from downstairs.

She knew too well that she was the only one who Ren couldn't deny anything.

XXX

Jun seemed to be serious with her words, because she made sure the two were kicked out of the house that evening.

Ren stood up brushing dusts from his shirt after Bailong, who had whispered apologetically "Pardon me, Ren-dono" to him, literally kicked him out.

XXX

This is too awkward.

They were walking next to each other, looking extremely like some high school couples on their date in some shoujo mangas: he was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, glaring at nothingness while she, dressing in a similar shirt and a skirt that reached her knees, walked alongside him, an embarrassed look on her face.

They just walked together without any certain directions on the crowded street - It was December 31st after all. One could never imagine they were a married couple with a son (and a very cute one actually) waiting for them at home.

"So... Where do you think we should eat in?"

Jeanne was the first one to open her mouth. She was French and was raised up by Italians - of course she knew how to bring about romance.

"Anywhere would do."

You really know how to kill the mood, Tao Ren.

So they ended up having dinner in a small pasta restaurant nearby. Jeanne seemed to really miss the spaghetti Marco used to cook for her when she had been a child. And Ren, as usual, showed no expression at all.

He finished his dish very soon and just sat there watching her eating. She was using her fork skillfully but eating so eagerly, very much like a child.

"Brat." He handed her a tissue so that she could clean the sauce on her chin.

"I'm sick of all these mushy decorations. Just get out of here." Ren grunted when she was finally done and stood up.

See? No romance at all.

Later, when thinking back, Jeanne still couldn't understand how they had spent that whole evening.

Because they rarely uttered a word. Side-by-side, they just silently walked randomly to places they had no idea about.

But out of no where, a small smile appeared on her beautiful face.

After all, the silence was probably awkward but certainly not uncomfortable.

Because both of them knew they had never been the kind of much words.

No looking, didn't mean that they didn't care.

No talking, didn't mean that they didn't enjoy each other's company.

No holding hands, no hugging, no kissing... didn't mean that they didn't love.

* * *

At about midnight, Jeanne found them standing on top of a tall building with a view over town. The breeze blew her hair slightly as she looked straight to the deep sky.

As the new year struck, fireworks broke the dark-blue sky with thousands of colorful lights. Jeanne's eyes widened and she smiled like a child. She had never seen such a beautiful scene before.

Ren just stood there eying her delightful expression, as more and more fireworks broke the sky. The pale skin, the smiling lips, the silver strands blowing in the wind.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He was snapped back to reality by her question, her eyes looking straight to his face.

"Listen carefully," Before he even knew it, these words had been out of his mouth, "Because I would say this just once."

Her smile faded with a puzzled look.

_"I love you."_

All of a sudden, so many emotions flooded in his mind.

None of them had he expected.

Because had had finally said out loud something he had been hiding from her, from everybody else and from himself.

That his heart had finally found its peaceful place.

XXX

The lights glistened in her eyes as her gaze locked in his.

The next thing he knew was silver, flowing around her, around them when her arms found their way around his torso.

"Happy birthday, Ren."

* * *

A/N: It's actually shorter than I thought. More fluffy also. Well, as ever, never mind to tell me what you think about it! ^^

I know I'm having a frustrating habit to update once a month. I really have tried to post this before I drown into my final exams. I'll be back on 8/5 *examsareoverfreeee* with the special long-awaited Bonus Chapter. Thank you Chiisai-Mini, Galerians, Jeanne Nguyen, Jenny Takashi, Blacksnow-chan for always supporting me :x You guys are the best!!!


	9. Bonus Chapter: Insanity

A/N: This probably is the best thing I've written so far. Or at least, I like writing (and reading) it very much ^^

Rated T+ for suggestive themes. No hardcore M-rated moments though.

This is dedicated to Lazy-Envy for her ever awesomeness :)

-Disclaimer: I own Shaman King. Wait, I'm also a fairy because I made that dream come true, right?

-Summary: This is all about feelings.

* * *

BONUS CHAPTER: Insanity.

She could feel his lips on hers as darkness started evading the room. Longing. Craving.

She felt her head hit something- the headboard. She felt his hot breath as he slightly pulled away. And she felt her own steady breath as he claimed her lips again.

It was much easier in the dark. Much easier for him to lean over her, hold her tightly. Much easier for her to wound her arms around his neck, letting him feel her. Much easier for them to break away all the rules they had always made for themselves.

But...

"I... I don't think..."

She tried. Really tried.

To escape his fervent kisses.

To escape the fact that she _needed _it.

"No thinking."

His words echoed in her mind as she found herself trapped in his embrace again. He gripped her wrist, hard; but his kisses, to her silent surprise, were very... gentle. Their lips just moved against each other, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They both know that there would be no back-up after this. That she was just sixteen.

But both of them had chosen to do things thoughtlessly for once in their lives.

What would happen the next day when they woke up, she didn't know; he didn't care. All they knew now was to be trapped in this feeling and feel it with all they were.

* * *

They explored each other's body quietly in the dark. She noticed for the first time how big the scar on his back is. For the first time, he knew she was scarred too. For the first time, he knew how it was to have his heart tighten in his chest when those scars shivered under his touch. She had all these because of the time she had spent inside that Iron Maiden to increase her furyoku. The damn furyoku that saved this life twice.

* * *

It hurt at first. But this was nothing in comparison to what she had suffered before. She closed her eyes, and just felt herself melting into him.

There were sweats on his skin, she could feel it. There were tears in her eyes, he could taste it.

He licked away her tears, and when he put his lips on hers again, she felt like she could sense the tears. What was she weeping for?

"Maiden," He whispered almost inaudibly, brushing some silver strands off her face.

"Call me by my name. Jeanne." She said with a half smile on her face, "I am not a maiden anymore."

* * *

He hesitated at first. Tao Ren, of all people, almost freaked out when he heard her let out a small cry. Running a finger across her soft, yet scarred skin, he touched her agape lips, feeling her hot, tremulous breath under his fingertips.

He held the side of her face gently with a hand, kissed her fully. He felt her grasp in his hair gradually loosening. Very, very slowly, she rose on her elbows so that she could return the kiss.

Even though darkness covered their sight, they could still feel their gaze meet.

And things went hastily from there.

* * *

A/N: Again, much shorter than I expected. Go on and criticize me if you feel the need to. ^^ Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked it and please review! Thank you, Lazy-Envy or Chiisai-chan for the inspiration :)


	10. Chapter VIII: Fearless

A/N: Hey! As I promised, "Fearless" continues again! I know I took forever, so thank you all for waiting. And no one will die in this, I assure you. We all need a little fluff in our lives. ;D Also thanks to rhiannon-chan, my awesome rant buddy and cheerleader and Lazy-Envy a.k.a Eve-chan for her awesome artworks that inspired me.

-Disclaimer: Don't own, just borrowing. No copyright infringement intended. No money being made or sought whatsoever.

-Summary: Erm... no. I don't want to summarize this chapter for a reason.

* * *

CHAPTER VIII: Fearless.

_March 2nd, 2007._

_Somewhere high above China. _

xxx

"So, Yoh-san and Anna-san are coming home? That's very good news."

She said cheerfully.

He folded the letter, written in Tamao's neat handwriting, and put it back in the envelope with a sigh.

"The idiots are inviting me there. Guess I can't deny them."

"You shouldn't. They are your best friends, after all. And I think," She paused, dreamily, "You should bring him along."

He looked at her grinning face. Yes, she had somehow read his mind. Again.

"Yes, I suppose."

Men, who was sitting on her lap playing with a lock of her hair, looked up at him innocently.

He leaned over and lifted his son up from her, which he could tell surprised her a little. She was startled when he stood up with Men in his arms, and put his hand lightly on the top of her head.

"Happy Birthday."

"Thank you."

She looked up and smiled that beautiful smile.

* * *

_March 9th, 2007._

_Funbari Onsen._

xxx

The visit to Funbari Onsen turned out to be quite normal.

First, he caused quite a riot on the street with his massive carriage. But what shocked his friends the most was the fact that he had a son.

Lyserg pulled a detective performance and hinted who the mother was with an annoying smile on his face.

Horohoro was still a big idiot.

Still, he must admit (well, internally) that he was quite impressed by Hana. As little as the boy was, he still has an imposing presence, probably inherited from his mother. But there was also something else radiating from this brash behavior. Sadness, loneliness. However, those thoughts were quickly swept from his mind, because Men had just called Horohoro 'baka'.

Yeah, his son had made him proud even as a 2-year-old.

xxx

Hana was truly a brat. What kind of child would kick his father straight in the leg when he had just come home after being away for 6 years?

To be fair, maybe Yoh really needed a kick for his appearance.

He had grown his hair long in a way that resembled his brother's, which made him look all the more idiotic, especially when he had that goofy smile on his face. And what was with the star-shaped earring that had been Hao's on his belt?

xxx

But after all, nothing seemed to have changed. The morons were still moronic. Anna was still scary. Manta only grew one more centimeter in height after 6 years.

Somehow, between this whole mess, he still felt at home with them.

* * *

She called him precisely at midnight despite the different timezones. She was talking to Men, and she must have said something endearing to him, because he was giggling in a manner that one could never imagine a Tao would have.

He took the phone after Men had crawled under the sheets and slept, maybe because she had told him so.

"I guess he had quite a good time today."

Her voice was low and soft and he sighed a little.

"He called Horohoro 'baka'."

He said bluntly and she chuckled.

"You must be very proud," She said amusedly. "Good night." And she hung up, knowing he wouldn't wish her back.

That night, he found himself asleep rather easily, even if the blanket smelled a little like Conchi.

* * *

_June 12th, 2012._

_Somewhere high above China, but a bit lower._

xxx

The house was strangely quiet. He was sitting on the couch reading a book, and didn't look up when she sat down casually beside him.

"He had just set out. I think with Bason and Shamash, he will handle himself just fine."

He just hmphed in response. He definitely didn't watch the way the sunlight fell on her hair as she stood up to pull the window curtains closed. Definitely not.

She ran her hand across his cheek just lightly before dragging her slender fingers tenderly in his hair. She never showed affection, at least not under the daylight, so the movement surprised him a bit. But then he was leaning over her and feeling her all cool and soft under his fingers, and he figured he didn't really care that much.

* * *

_June 13th, 2012._

_Funbari Onsen, again._

xxx

The Asakura household was a mess. Not that it hadn't always been that way, but Tamao had managed to keep it relatively peaceful and uneventful for 11 years, apart from Hana's regular class-skipping.

But now Yoh and Anna were coming home again, and Horohoro and Tao Men were staying over, which resulted in Hana getting pissed off even more than usual, and it totally didn't help that Hao showed up in a particularly girlish yukata and declared Hana's engagement with this tough, don't-you-mess-with-me Patch girl.

It helped that the girl had this Anna-like presence with her, complete with incredible shamanic powers, which made the entire household fearful of her in less than 3 hours, but Hana didn't like being controlled, especially when he and Men were fighting and Anna the Third would always jump in and slap them both across the face for misbehaving.

But the month was going to end soon, the gang was going the reunite again and hopefully under Anna Asakura's glares, which scared even the omnipotent Shaman King himself, everything would be normal again.

* * *

_July 1st, 2012._

_Still Funbari Onsen._

xxx

The day of the reunion had come and everything was perfectly normal. Yoh and Anna had arrived earlier in the day; Yoh, Lyserg, Chocolove and Horohoro were lazing around as usual, Anna had already said something along the lines of, "I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson; since when did he think he could decide my son's engagement?", and Hana and Men were about to start fighting again.

This was not looking good; Anna the Third wasn't around at the moment, and Men was raising his Kwan Dao, about to form an O.S.

That was when he was lifted up in the air.

Everyone paused whatever they were doing to look at the door, all at once, and time seemed to stop for a moment. Yoh dropped one of Horo's failed products, halfway to his mouth, as Ren stepped forward, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder, who was smiling brightly at them with her son looking smug in her arms.

"Don't you look at her, baka."

xxx

The news was explosive, for sure. But he couldn't help reminding them that they were a little outdated. They had already had a seven-year-old son, after all. Hao showed up later that night, stating, "It is very surprising that you two got together. Wait, of course I'm not surprised, I am the Shaman King." and, "You're looking good, Maiden."

That bastard.

But even if he couldn't beat up Hao, Anna always could. So now Hao was laying unconscious across the room for deciding Hana's engagement without telling her.

They decided to come home early (read: right that night), which induced torn expressions from Hana. He seemed to be so joyous at first, with Men leaving and all, but afterwards he just looked like a kicked puppy. Everybody watched with widened eyes the faintly but clearly sad look Men was giving him, but then Jeanne pressed a kiss on top of Hana's head, and well, no more sadness for you.

xxx

Their traveling home was uneventful, to say the least. Men was, Tao-ish arrogance and obey-me-or-get-hurt aside, still a kid, and he fell asleep the moment he stepped into the carriage. She sat with Men's head resting on her lap, stroking his hair slowly, as the streets and dusty roads and night skies seemed to be flowing out the window. Peacefulness and happiness still felt somewhat new to her, even though she had been trying to get used to them for 7 years.

This warm, fuzzy feeling so frequently spread its way at the pit of his stomach, and Ren couldn't bring himself to say he hated it. (Still, don't ask him about it.). A Tao should never feel content, he knew, he should always want to be better and better, he should never find that anything was enough. But she was there, sitting across from him, looking dreamy and peaceful, ever so silent, ever so understanding, ever so bright. And he couldn't help it if he missed her whenever they were apart, if he longed to see her smile and hear her voice and feel her warmth. And he couldn't help it if he was no longer the fearless Tao Ren, no matter how many times Men had told him that.

Because he feared losing her.

_END_

* * *

A/N: I know I got you guys stood up for a month. I know that this was a funny-mushy mess of a last chapter. Still, thank you for following 'Fearless' till the end. Thank you for putting up with my annoying, irregular, on-and-off updating, from the very first days when my writing and grammar were still full of mistakes. Thank you for leaving reviews, adding this fic to your Favorite or Alert, for giving me criticisms and encouragements, for being the best readers one could have. Thank you.


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